The Tainted Bloodline
by Mockingjay Rose
Summary: They killed his father when he five and murdered his mother when he was ten. When Tsuna discovers the reasons behind their deaths, Tsuna is prepared to destroy the Vongola and the entire Mafia when they finally come for him. Dark!Tsuna, Dark!Tenth Generation. AU, Eventual R27, not romance-centric
1. The Don's Daughter

**~The Tainted Bloodline~**

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**A/N: **Hey everyone, thanks for visiting. This fic is for JackFrost14's Dark!Tsuna challenge, which is to write a fic about Dark!Tsuna avenging the murders of his assassin!mother and normal!father. Though this chapter is more centred on Nana's past, Dark!Tsuna will definitely appear in the next chapter!

This has not been beta-read.

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**PROLOGUE – THE DON'S DAUGHTER **

**TOKYO, JAPAN - FIFTEEN YEARS IN THE PAST**

A young Japanese-Italian woman was perched on a broken lamp-post, staring off into the distance. The wind was cold and chilly that night, blowing wisps of her shoulder length brown hair against her face. Her narrowed sharp brown eyes were locked onto her target, who was slowly walking down the alley, his shadow reflecting across the aged abandoned buildings.

After briefly assessing the man, she confirmed that he was indeed Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, the same man who had left the Vongola one month ago to marry a woman from an enemy Famiglia. He was one of the strongest swordsmen and was in Vongola Nono's inner circle of loyal assassins. However, due to his betrayal, there were orders to kill him, and the entire Vongola Famiglia was fearful and paranoid that Yamamoto would give the Famiglia's secrets to the enemy.

And thus Nana Vongola was sent to deal with this matter. Glancing at the tall man, she mentally compared his present self with the photo she had been given. Instead of a stern-faced man wearing a black suit and wielding a deadly sharp katana, this man was wearing a simple sushi chef's uniform. His facial expression was soft and caring, as he gently spoke to the pretty woman beside him.

Nana instantly knew that the man had given up his life as an assassin to become a faithful husband, and his wife had also left her Famiglia.

The assassin's grip on her rifle faltered, as her gaze flickered down onto her pale hands. Under the illumination of the moonlight, she swore she could see the dark crimson droplets of blood coating her hands, shape shifting into demons and tainting her soul. Was it even right to kill someone who chose to leave the path of murder? Was Yamamoto Tsuyoshi still a threat?

Almost unconsciously, the young woman wiped her hands on her black suit and shifted the grip on her sniper's rifle.

_It doesn't matter_, she reassured herself, _it's just one more life – I've already killed so many. The man must die tonight, or else there will be dire consequences for my Famiglia…_

Her target approached with his wife following close behind, hand in hand. The assassin closed her eyes, switched the safety and forcefully aimed her rifle at the man, preparing to shoot. Orders were orders. After Tsuyoshi Yamamoto died, she could finally return home_...and to her next assassination mission._

Her grip tightened on her rifle and her finger applied some pressure on the trigger. She gritted her teeth. _It's just one more life…_

Suddenly she felt a presence beneath the lamp-post.

"Hey miss, are you stuck up there?"

Nana's brown eyes widened. _I've been spotted?_ she thought with disbelief. She had focused too heavily on her conscience and her target, that she had forgotten that the alley was also open behind her. Instantly, her rifle was aimed at the figure beneath the lamp-post and a silenced bullet soared though the sky towards the newcomer.

"W-Woah!" a voice stuttered. Nana turned her head to regard the man. He was fairly tall and well built, with dark blond hair and a happy-go-lucky grin. As the assassin glared at him, he raised his hands in the air in surrender, dropping his pickaxe onto the ground. "I'm just someone who came from a late night party!" the man continued, "A-An innocent civilian! Besides, what can you achieve by shooting me? You'll just have to pay for my hospital bills or my funeral, haha!"

_I-Impossible..._

"I…missed?" Nana whispered to herself. The assassin scrutinised the area near the blond man warily, before finally spotting the bullet, which was several metres away from him. After a brief analysis, Nana determined that the bullet had indeed been deflected by the pickaxe, which had been slung over the man's shoulder.

_How can he face death so light-heartedly?_ she thought with a frown. Though her facial expression was carefully guarded in the darkness, she felt a two emotions stir inside – disgust …and envy.

Disgust - she was disgusted that such a carefree and happy-go-lucky person had a life that was seemingly perfect. Being born as the illegitimate daughter of Vongola Nono and another woman, Nana Vongola had been living a lie. To the knowledge of others, she was the child of Vongola Nono's wife, but in reality, she held no power. She couldn't even make her own decisions, and because she had only inherited half of the Vongola's Hyper Intuition, she wasn't considered as an heir either. Due to her blood's impurity, she was forced to become an assassin – a_ tool _– for her Famiglia.

And then there was envy - the blond man was so…_normal_. Nana envied the way he could have fun and aimlessly attend parties. Every party she had to attend, however, was full of motives – to strengthen Famiglia bonds with their allies, or to spy on a potential threat. Most of the time, she had walked away with her hands stained with someone else's blood. To be free would be so…

"I'm Sawada Iemitsu," the man continued on cheerfully, cutting through her thoughts, "I'm an oil miner from Namimori," he added, gesturing towards his pickaxe, "I never knew it could deflect bullets, though – that was so cool!"

Nana turned away from him and gracefully leapt down the lamp-post, landing with her knees bent. Iemitsu regarded her with a stunned expression on his face.

"I don't need to know about you. Forget everything or the next bullet will not miss," the assassin spoke coldly.

The blond man shook his head. "I don't know, but you seem…different. You're not as bad as them. I've seen the mafia, yakuza and the occasional serial killers on television. I don't think you'll kill me."

"Why?" _Television? How ignorant is he, to talk to an assassin? Is he a police officer or spy?__  
_

Iemitsu scratched his head sheepishly. "My er… intuition?"

"Ridiculous," Nana replied sharply. However, the word 'intuition' echoed in the back of her mind. She had only inherited half of Vongola Nono's Hyper Intuition, and her other half was from experience. Before she buried herself further into the mess she created, she turned around and walked away.

"Wait!" Iemitsu called from behind. The assassin paused as the blond man ran to catch up with her. "What's your name?" he asked, "And who are you?"

_Nana Vongola, _she answered mentally, hating the admiration in the man's voice_,_ _the illegitimate daughter of Vongola Nono, who is the Boss of the world's most powerful mafia Famiglia. A woman who is forced to serve her Famiglia as an assassin, due her gender and her blood's impurity._

But instead, she found herself looking deep into the eyes of the blond man, who had an expectant expression on his face. Suddenly he looked uncomfortable. "It's okay if you don't want to tell me. You'll have to kill me for knowing too much, right?" Iemitsu said quickly.

_Yes, I would have to kill you_. Yet strangely, her intuition told her that this man was trustworthy – he was a man of his word and he would take all his secrets to his grave.

"Nana," she finally told him quietly, "My name is Nana."

Then she left the scene, moving quickly through the trees and shadows, going anywhere but her hotel, where she had to give her report to her superiors. Instead, she found herself heading towards a deep, clear lake.

Nana's fingered moved on their own - under the glistening moonlight, she removed all but one bullet from her sniper's rifle, before throwing them down the lake. She watched the bullets send ripples on the surface of the black water, disturbing its tranquility, before they slowly sunk down. With a small cry, Nana then ripped off her Vongola suit, and flung the cursed attire into the lake along with her daggers.

Only her rifle remained, but she couldn't bring herself to dispose of it. Finally, clutching her near-empty weapon, she lay down to face the night sky, reminiscing on her life, and wishing to start anew.

She had allowed herself to spare Tsuyoshi Yamamoto and his family from the fate the Vongola had inflicted upon him. She had also spared Iemitsu Sawada, a foolish yet surprisingly perceptive man who had even spotted her when she appeared invisible to the eyes of even the greatest hit men.

But deep inside, Nana knew that she had had chosen the wrong path - she knew that in the end, it would be her mercy that would lead to her downfall.

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**END OF PROLOGUE**

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Please review! Share your thoughts with me?

-Mockingjay Rose


	2. Fragmented Memories

**~The Tainted Bloodline~**

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**Thanks to these awesome reviewers: **WinterGuardianAngel24, Soul Vrazy, mangopudding, JackFrost14, loveless23, Lexie-chan94, Featherain, THEULTIMATEGREENBOSS, XxShadowfangxX, and flechette mango.

OMG…45 subscribers already?! Wow, you guys are amazing! Keep them coming, kay? ^^

**This chapter is currently in beta status.**

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**CHAPTER 1 – FRAGMENTED MEMORIES**

**NAMIMORI, JAPAN **

"Oi, you brat!" a muscular man sneered as he predatorily sized up the short brunet boy before him, "Are you looking for trouble?"

Fifteen year old Sawada Tsunayoshi calmly looked up, his unfeeling black eyes boring into the eyes of his opponent. "So what if I am?" he replied, his finger absentmindedly twirling the thin piece of chain attached to his pants. In his peripheral vision, he saw at least a dozen more men watching from nearby, waiting for some excitement.

"You may seem cool and all, brat," the muscular man snarled menacingly, exposing gold covered teeth, "but this is the territory of the Momokyokai Yakuza. What comes to our territory _belongs_ in our territory."

"Try me," Tsuna told him. From underneath his clothes, Tsuna drew out two long chains with spiked tips, before he spun them rapidly above his head, gathering momentum. Then he lashed out, the chains encircling the small gang and binding them together.

"Tsuna, you never told us you were killing again," a cold feminine voice called out from the shadows, "How could you?" Ignoring the jeers from the surrounding yakuza men, she slid her dagger from the sheath on her thigh. With a bloodthirsty glint in her eyes, the orange haired girl walked forward and pointed the glistening tip under the leader's chin. Laughing as the men screamed in terror, she repeatedly stabbed them all, relishing their fear

Tsuna lowered his chains and narrowed his eyes at the girl. "Kyoko," he said, "I told you to stay at home."

The girl, Kyoko, withdrew her dagger and watched the crimson blood run down her slender wrist and onto the cold cement, as she licked her lips. "Don't underestimate me because I'm a girl, Tsuna," she replied, "I have every right for vengeance too."

"Your brother stayed at home like he was told to."

Kyoko turned to glare sharply at her comrade. "This isn't a game of obedience, Tsuna." Returning her gaze across the new corpses, she added, "You know, we should move to Italy soon and start aiming for stronger targets, such as the Vongola Famiglia. Hibari could deal with those low Yakuza men himself."

"I was feeling weak tonight," Tsuna shrugged, as he unwounded his black chains from the bodies. Then he placed his hands on their chests, feeling their fading Dying Will flames. Rolling his sleeves up, he concentrated and slowly allowed the heat to transfer to his own body, and finally, into the clear pacifier underneath his clothing. The absorbed energy gave him a boost of power, and Tsuna's mind slowly cleared.

Instantly, the girl sheathed her blade and regarded Tsuna with concern. "You were feeling weak again? How long can you last without taking more flames?" she asked.

"If I don't absorb more flames? I don't know. A week at most."

"But-"

"We need to leave. Hibari's coming," Tsuna suddenly said, his shoulders tensing as he heard the familiar footsteps of the leader of the Namimori Disciplinary Committee, "Go back home and take a shower. I have somewhere I need to be."

Shooting him one last glare, Kyoko wiped her hands on one Yakuza man's black suit, before returning into the shadows. Making sure that the girl wasn't tailing him, Tsuna then quickly made his way to the rooftop of Namimori Shrine.

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The night sky was one of the few things Tsuna still admired in real life, after all the tragedies he'd been through. Lying under it made the burdens on his shoulders seem lighter, and it was above the Shrine, where he could peacefully reminisce his past.

Tsuna couldn't remember a lot of his past, ever since he had gotten his pacifier. The memories of both tragic nights were carved deep into his mind, yet what happened afterward was frustratingly vague. He remembered a small number of distant memories but pieces were still missing from his mind.

"_Iemitsu! No! You can't fight them alone!"_

In the flashback, a woman had been screaming and crying as a man stood bravely before her, shielding her from _him_. Tsuna remembered never feeling more terrified, as he had watched on from above, petrified at the sight of the man laughing wickedly at the couple's pain. There had been a pungent smell too, the sickly sweet odour of fresh wounds and newly spilt blood; a smell he was all too familiar with in the present day.

"_Don't be reckless, Iemitsu!" _the same woman had continued on, _"He's the Cloud Guardian from the Vongola's elite Independent Assassination Squad!" _

Her voice brought back a sense of familiarity to Tsuna, and though her voice was laced with pain and grief back then, Tsuna remembered feeling safe and believing wholeheartedly that he would be protected as he hid behind thick curtains, a stuffed toy muffling his childish screams. _It wouldn't have mattered if I had screamed either_, the brunet would sometimes muse darkly to himself, as the frantic yells of the woman and the bloodthirsty assassin's chilling laughter drowned out all other sounds.

Tsuna didn't even hear the owls cry, until it had been too late. He remembered seeing the man – his _father_– sprawled across the bloodied carpet, with the enemy standing above him, a mace between his crimson stained hands. By then, the woman had ceased screaming and her aura had been replaced by cold hate, which had sent shivers down five year old Tsuna's spine.

"_An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,"_ Tsuna had remembered hearing, though it was only much, much later when he truly understood the Italian words the woman had hissed, _"And blood must be repaid in full."_

And then Tsuna had witnessed the dark side of his mother, as she unhesitatingly drew a sniper's rifle from underneath the couch, and with expert precision, she had shot the Cloud Guardian. Tsuna remembered seeing the brief flash of orange in her eyes, before the crying woman had retrieved his five year old self and fled the streets of Tokyo in the middle of the night.

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Over the next five years, Tsuna had noticed that his mother's personality had changed dramatically. Her usual strong personality began to disintegrate, though she hid it all under an excruciatingly cheerful façade. Tsuna was never fooled, however, as he knew she had secretly cried numerous times in her sleep, and when she washed her hands and bathed, she took twice as long as others.

His mother had also suffered mentally whenever she saw anything which reminded her of _that _night, the night her husband had died. She avoided dark clothing, especially suits, and she never left the house after dark.

With her strange, airheaded personality, however, Tsuna's mother had attracted a lot of people, including a weird old man named Kawahira and the eccentric Sasagawa family. She had surrounded herself with trustworthy people, and made sure Tsuna always had a friend to protect him from _them_.

Looking back, Tsuna _did_ find his mother's close friends rather suspicious. Kawahira had the ability to make things vanish and appear in thin air, and the Sasagawas had similar auras to his mother's – Tsuna had always considered their eccentricity to be forced. The Sasagawas' children, Kyoko and Ryohei, played their respective roles at school, one as the school idol and one as the captain of the boxing club, but sometimes Tsuna had caught them eyeing the shadows as they walked, as if they expected an ambush.

Then the second dark day had arrived, when _they _had come for his mother. Kyoko and Ryohei's parents, having been police officers, had immediately rushed over to the Sawada Residence towards the screams, which had mirrored the screams Tsuna had heard from _that _night. With his blood turning ice cold, he had run from the safety of the Sasagawa Residence to his house, his intuition running wild.

"_Ushishishishishi! That was so easy! The prince demands a better target,"_ a male voice had mocked from within his house.

Tsuna's heart had beaten faster and he froze in his tracks, too scared to move.

"_VOOOII! STOP IT, BEL! DON'T MAKE A MESS! VOOOOOOOI!"_

"_No one orders the prince, you peasant, ushishishishi~"_

The cordless telephone Tsuna had clutched had dropped from the ten year old boy's hands, concealing itself amongst the tall grass in his backyard. Why his younger self had even _considered_ calling the police when the Sasagawas had already been murdered still bewildered him today.

He had been so naïve.

But the final piece of Tsuna's past – _who_ the inhuman, masked man with the Iron hat who had appeared behind him immediately after was, and _what_ he was - was locked away inside an unreachable part of his mind. Tsuna had tirelessly attempted to reveal the mysterious man's true identity, but his memories of him were too cryptic and too vague to grasp any further information.

All he remembered was the man's cold voice purring into his ear, offering him a contract, as his voice broke through Tsuna's mental resolve.

"_Boy, you watched it all, didn't you?" _had been the man's first words, his tone mockingly sympathetic, _"What will you do now? I have a proposal for you."_

What the proposal was, was still a mystery to Tsuna to this day, and he doubted that his ten year old self had listened, as he cried his heart out on the shoulder of the stranger. But back then, Tsuna had already discovered his heart's true desire, and after he made his decision, he had spoken the Italian words he had committed to memory five years ago, when his father had been murdered right in front of his eyes.

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," he recited slowly, "Blood must be repaid in full."

Then there had been nothing – nothing but a deep void of darkness.

When Tsuna finally woke, his human emotions had disappeared, replaced by a steely calmness. A clear pacifier was in his hands, and his own Sky Dying Will flames were gone, replaced with the Flames of Night.

He had made the deal with the devil, which had forced him to become the person he was now - a vessel fuelled completely by the desire for vengeance – vengeance for the murders of his parents' deaths.

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**A/N: **Now, there's a Dark!Tsuna and Dark!Kyoko for you. Basically Kyoko's one of Tsuna's sidekicks, and she really hates the mafia as well, for killing her parents. Also, yes, Tsuna made a contract with Checkerface, though he doesn't remember what the deal was anymore...

Please review LIKE A BOSS, and thanks for reading! A cookie for a review?

**-Mockingjay Rose**


	3. Tsuna's Comrades

**The Tainted Bloodline**

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**Thanks to these awesome reviewers: **JackFrost14, xX Shadow Moon Pendant xX, Soul Vrazy, WinterGuardianAngel24, loveless23, XxShadowfangxX, Lexie-chan94, mangopudding, THEULTIMATEGREENBOSS, Meota Tsukiko, Sylvia-san, Aira-Chama, Featherain, mintLeafeon, Bird of Dreams, Hibatsulova1827 0-0, and Immortalis Cruor Elf.

**A/N: **After the release of Reborn chapter 404, we now have more insight about Checkerface, and I'd like to mention that his true identity is the same man as the man in the canon. (I won't give the name out now, as some of you may not have read the latest chapter yet.)

**This chapter has not been beta-read.**

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**CHAPTER 2 – TSUNA'S COMRADES**

**NAMIMORI, JAPAN **

Tsuna returned to the Sawada Residence right before the crack of dawn, feeling calmer after he had reminisced about his past upon the rooftop of Namimori Shrine. As he turned his key in the lock, he stifled a yawn, wanting nothing but a shower to wash the dried blood on his body and clothes. After that, he planned to finally sleep until noon.

"Oi, Sawada, it's past five," a female voice scolded from inside the living room, "Kyoko was going to hunt you down."

Tsuna blinked. "Kurokawa?"

There was a rude snort and then the lights turned on, illuminating the heavily curtained room. Tsuna's pupils immediately shrunk as they adjusted to the light, before they narrowed to observe his surroundings. Sure enough, his classmate, Kurokawa Hana, was there, sitting at his desk in front of a running laptop with a cup of coffee in her hands. When they met eyes, the black haired girl slammed down her drink and glared.

"We have school in a few hours, you know," she hissed, pointing an accusing finger at his chest, "Kyoko told me you went for a killing, but what other business did you have afterwards?"

"I would like to know that too," a muffled voice called out from the adjacent kitchen. Tsuna's gaze briefly flickered across to where he knew Kyoko was eating with her brother.

Sighing at the fact that his comrades had decided yet again to spend the night at his house, the brunet answered them with a vague "nothing"; the others didn't need to know, and to Tsuna, school was such a trivial thing that he slept through most days. Not only were attacks seldom during the daytime, skipping school also suited his "loser" façade well.

"ENOUGH QUESTIONING, KYOKO AND HANA!" a third voice yelled from within the kitchen, "COME AND EAT PIZZA TO THE EXTREME!"

A delicious scent suddenly wafted under his nose. Finding the perfect excuse to dodge the girls' questioning, the brunet walked into the kitchen, only to find his table to be piled underneath ten boxes of pizza.

"Pizzas?" he asked incredulously, "You pulled an all-nighter due to my absence and bought pizza? Where did you get the Italian food anyways?"

Kyoko swallowed her bite and threw the pizza crust back into the cardboard box. "Kawahira's credit card," she said with a shrug, "It was taking Hana a long time to hack into the Vongola Database, and there was nothing but coffee and cereal in your cupboards."

"Kawahira is our only source of income at the moment," was the curt reply. Then Tsuna smirked as he watched Kurokawa return her attention to the sleek laptop, her fingers flying across the keys. He had finally managed to obtain the hacking software from Irie Shouichi, their local genius. It had taken blackmail and a few well-placed threats to force the boy to invent the software in a week, under complete secrecy.

"Found anything?" Tsuna asked her when she paused. The black haired girl relaxed on the chair and massaged her temples, before she took another sip of coffee.

"Nothing of our interest so far," she replied, "News of our last attack in Italy has died down now, and then there's the usual news in Namimori." Tsuna nodded in understanding at her reference to Hibari's growing irritation towards the "mysterious" Yakuza members' deaths. However, with their carefully erased footsteps and their expertly applied façades, Tsuna and his comrades were not considered suspects at all.

"Any internal affairs?" Tsuna asked. Ever since they had coincidentally met in Sicily after the black haired girl had been relentlessly searching for information regarding her parents' obviously planned murder, Kurokawa had stubbornly decided to join Tsuna, Kyoko and Ryohei. Her parents had been in Japan's Intelligence force, and Kurokawa had undergone combat training ever since she had started school. She had also learned how to gather information by means of hacking, albeit without her parents' awareness, but she lacked a team to back her up in case of an emergency.

Like Tsuna, Kyoko, and Ryohei, Kurokawa Hana shared a similar incentive – she wished to avenge her parents whom had been assassinated under the orders of the Italian Mafia. Her assistance to the group had proved over and over again to be invaluable. Their first mission together had been to destroy a branch of the Cavallone Famiglia, and not only had the death count satisfied them well and had given Tsuna plenty of Flame Energy, but the Cavallone Famiglia was also left in a huge debt.

Large debts were good, in Tsuna's opinion – they sometimes caused internal conflicts within the Famiglia, amongst the Boss, the Guardians, and the External Advisor, and the conflicts usually resulted in betrayals. Whilst the Famiglia was in chaos, fatal openings tended to appear, allowing Tsuna and his comrades to destroy them.

Suddenly Kurokawa took a sharp breath and froze. "O-Oh my god…" she gasped.

Immediately Kyoko and Ryohei were out of the kitchen, their bodies in fighting stances. Kyoko unsheathed her bloody dagger and warily walked up to the black haired girl, demanding answers like her brother was.

Tsuna carefully lifted the laptop with its cords from his desk and scrolled up, wanting to read the full story. "Federico, the third son and heir of Vongola Nono has been confirmed dead three hours ago, and there has been disruption in the Famiglia's affairs," he summarised, after he had read the latest digitally submitted report, "The Boss of the Vongola Famiglia has already started to make his move to bring forth his last male heir, to succeed him as Vongola Decimo as soon as possible."

Kyoko frowned in confusion. "'Bring forth'?" she asked, "His last heir is Xanxus."

"No."

Three pairs of eyes turned towards their leader, who had taken a seat on the couch, his dark eyes shadowed under his brown hair.

"The name of the final heir," Tsuna read out slowly, his eyes unreadable, "is Tsunayoshi V. Sawada."

The dagger in Kyoko's grip clattered onto the floor. "No way…" she said, "Your father was an ordinary oil miner, and I know your mother was an ex-assassin, but…but-"

"My mother," he whispered in disbelief and shock, "She was the illegitimate daughter of_ Vongola Nono_…"

"So what do we do now, Tsuna?" Kyoko asked, crossing her arms. "I'll kill you right now if you submit to the Vongola and become their _Decimo_. Don't forget, your parents-"

"Enough." Kyoko blinked and picked up her fallen dagger, before she took a step backwards.

"With the Vongola Famiglia's connections, it shouldn't take more than twelve hours for them to arrive from Italy to Japan. Their first move should occur between noon today - depending on their departure time - and tomorrow morning, if they will observe before they reveal themselves. Be on your guards – the Vongola are our strongest targets, and we are not to give them any reason to suspect us. Frame Hibari Kyouya and the local Yakuza when we attack."

"And if we extremely get caught?" Ryohei asked.

Tsuna narrowed his eyes and clenched a fist around his clear pacifier with a bitter smirk. The temperature in the room became icy cold, and the others leaned forward with a bloodthirsty gleam in their eyes.

"If it must be so," the brunet said, "we will play along with their game. We'll gain the Vongola Famiglia's trust, as well as its allies' trust, and then we will destroy the Mafia from within."

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**A/N: **Ok, I know I've lied again - I promised several people that I was going to update 'Akutama no Hitman Reborn' before I go along with 'The Tainted Bloodline'... Unfortunately I'm stuck with writer's block for AnHR, and I haven't written much for Chapter 15 at all... I'm so sorry! *bows* But I'm working on it at the moment, and hopefully I'll have it finished after my exams.

With that aside, we get to meet Tsuna's comrades in this chapter, and Tsuna realises that he's the heir of the Vongola. And yes, they've been living off Kawahira's credit card for the past few years. Kawahira...sounds familiar to ya? (Chapter 404...)

Please review! I love reading your comments. ^^

**-Mockingjay Rose**

**PS: **I am looking for a beta who hopefully uses British/Australian English. Is there anyone who is available to get edits done in 1-2 days? Thanks.


	4. The First Move

**The Tainted Bloodline**

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**Thanks to these awesome reviewers: **Startkick, Schwarzien.D'Seventh, Ayz283, Kanrei, Soul Vrazy, 550, XxShadowfangxX, saphire644, yumeniai, Chibi'prince-sama, MintLeafeon, Featherain, Lexie-chan94, JackFrost14, Sylvia-san, ezcap1st, and Akainokami.

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**CHAPTER 3 – THE FIRST MOVE**

**NAMIMORI, JAPAN **

"School sucks," Tsuna muttered as he neared the gates of Namimori Middle School, "I can't believe I still have to go to _that_ place, when the Italian mafia are coming…"

Pulling his strange necktie from his light coloured uniform with agitation, the brunet sighed. It wasn't as if Tsuna needed to learn about trigonometry, or why Shakespeare characters tended to cry out "O, I am slain!" before they died, and for all he knew, a parabola was an electric umbrella, rather than a strange curve which barely had anything to do with life. Given, he was a failure at his studies, partially because he rarely bothered to attend school, and partially because his mind was already overloaded with information about the mafia.

Speaking of the mafia, Kurokawa had hacked into nearest international airport's air traffic control earlier in the morning, and had told him before he left the house that a private plane from Italy had just landed. As precautions, Tsuna had pulled an all-nighter to make his house more lived in, and he was to attend school and hopefully blend in, to not draw any attention from the mafia. He regretted spending so much money on 'teenage items' such as the latest video game console, an entire bookshelf of manga, and a wardrobe of hoodies, jeans, and colourful shirts, but it was all necessary.

"Sawada! S-Sawada-kun!" Panting heavily, a redhead ran towards Tsuna, carrying a large shopping bag. The brunet stopped and recognised him as Irie Shouichi, the genius of Namimori.

Irie bowed politely and paused for a few seconds to catch his breath. "Good morning, Sawada-san," he greeted, "Y-Yesterday I invented something with m-may be of use to y-you." From the bag, the redhead took out a small drawstring bag which contained four clear earpieces, designed like hearing aids.

Tsuna peered down at the inventions curiously. "What do they do?" he asked, impressed. Unlike him, Irie Shouichi was a lover of science and machinery, and he spent all his free time researching and designing devices. At the age of twelve, one of his inventions had already won the top prize of a competition, and was now manufactured around Japan.

"These work like a cross between a walkie-talkie and Bluetooth device," Irie explained, "You connect the main earpiece onto your mobile phone, and after putting in the correct pin number, you can select which other earpieces you wish to activate, enabling the users to overhear the conversations on the phone. They also work like a walkie-talkie, so if you press a button on the earpiece and speak from within a metre radius, it will transmit the sound to the other earpieces."

Drawing out his cheap mobile phone, Tsuna turned the Bluetooth on and connected it with the earpiece which had an 'M' marked on it. "Wow," he breathed, as he followed the instructions on how to set the pin number, "Thank you, Irie Shouichi."

Irie returned a nervous smile. "A-Ah, Sawada-san, I have to thank you for helping me that time, when the Y-Yakuza knocked on my door. You'll protect my f-family and I, will you?"

Tsuna nodded. He remembered that time when he and Kyoko had gone on a midnight kill. On the way home, they had found more Yakuza members outside the redhead's house, pointing their guns at his mother and sisters, demanding Irie to hand over all his inventions unless he had wanted his family to be tortured to death. Of course, Kyoko had been more than delighted to slit the Yakuza members' throats in the nearby alley, and Tsuna was able to store more Flame energy into his clear pacifier, so Irie and his family had come out physically unscathed.

Since then, however, the threat of Yakuza attacks loomed over the Irie Residence, and Tsuna and his comrades quickly used that to their advantage. Irie was a shy boy so he was fairly easy to manipulate, and Tsuna had struck a deal with him – Irie would share his inventions with Tsuna, Kyoko and Kurokawa, whilst in return, they would protect him the Yakuza and mafia. Sometimes though, when Kurokawa needed hacking software, other measures such as blackmail had to be taken.

"S-So…" Irie said awkwardly, "I've designed them so they don't stand out when worn. S-Sasagawa-sempai has short hair…so yeah…"

"Got it, and thanks again," Tsuna replied, as he activated all four earpieces, before placing his phone and drawstring bag into his pants pocket. Then the two walked to school, discussing about the weather, and they managed to arrive a split second before the bell rang.

Behind them, a few latecomers cried out in pain, as they were bitten to death by Namimori's feared Disciplinary Committee Chairman, Hibari Kyouya.

**-XXXX-**

When Tsuna opened the door to his classroom, he was reminded once more of the reasons why he hated school.

Firstly, he had immediately attracted the attention of his bully classmates, who showed how absolutely thrilled they were that their "no good" classmate had finally shown up, by throwing paper, pencils, and other bits of stationery at him. Yawning, Tsuna used the flying objects as an excuse to 'fall' onto Kurokawa's desk and discreetly give her two earpieces.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" the black haired girl hissed coldly. Keeping to his 'useless' act, Tsuna stammered something unintelligible, but he relaxed once Kurokawa gave him a nod to signal that she had noticed the new devices on her lap.

"Please be careful, Sawada-san," Kyoko added politely. Tsuna tried not to snort – it was just too ironic to see such a bloodthirsty girl act like an innocent flower. Instead, he bowed his head low and quickly made his way to his seat, before scanning the blackboard for today's lesson plan.

_Chapter 11.06: Parabolas_, the writing on the board read. The brunet internally groaned. He really should have stayed home…

"Sawada, since you're the last one to arrive, please tell us what a parabola is," Nezu-sensei called out with a nasty smirk on his face. Tsuna tried not to glare back – though he hated the arrogant teacher for picking on him, Nezu wasn't related to the mafia or Yakuza, as far as he was concerned.

And Tsuna would never lower himself to kill harmless civilians.

As he cleared his throat, the brunet rolled the question in his mind, trying not to think about electric umbrellas. "A parabola," he started slowly, "is a mathematical skill used by mathematicians to solve mathematical questions."

The class proceeded to laugh at his ridiculous answer, and Nezu scowled at him. "No," the teacher said, "Sawada, if you don't even know what a parabola is, you should come to school every day and pay more attention to class! What-"

"Nezu-sensei," Kyoko cut in sweetly from a few seats back, saving Tsuna the embarrassment (not that the brunet really cared), "A parabola is the graph of a quadratic relationship."

"Oooooh you're so smart, Kyoko-chan!" the students in the class all exclaimed. Kyoko smiled at them pleasantly and returned her focus on the annoyed teacher. When she turned her head, Tsuna noticed that the earpiece was already in her ear, almost completely concealed by her orangey-brown hair.

"Y-Yeah…" Tsuna muttered. For some reason, Kyoko, Kurokawa and Ryohei had always insisted on going to school, while he himself slept in, most likely because they wished to keep a sense of normality. Tuning out of Nezu's lecture, Tsuna glanced at the clock – there were twenty more minutes until recess.

Suddenly the door was knocked thrice, and a senior student in the Disciplinary Committee uniform entered, holding a letter. Behind the student, Tsuna sensed the unfamiliar aura of an adult, which immediately put him on edge. Without warning, his clear pacifier began to pulse painfully against his chest as it slowly lit up. Gasping at the abrupt loss of Flame energy, the brunet breathed heavily and beads of sweat developed on his forehead.

The adult was an Arcobaleno.

Gritting his teeth shakily, Tsuna reached down his shirt and gripped the moving pacifier, allowing his Flame of Night to suppress the glowing. Finally the pulsing died down, and the pacifier returned to its usual dull state. Noticing the concerned looks from Kyoko and Kurokawa, the brunet mouthed "I'm fine" before he turned his attention to the door.

"Kusakabe Tetsuya," Nezu was saying with bewilderment, "You can't possibly-"

"I am sorry," Kusakabe replied, holding up the letter, "but the principal of the school has ordered for your resignation. We have recently acquired evidence that your achievements at Tokyo University were indeed fraud, so therefore you are not qualified to be a teacher at Namimori Middle. As of now, you are no longer welcome here, and if you have any complaints, please address them to either the school principal, or the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee."

Nezu fell silent and paled. "I…" he tried to say. Kusakabe calmly raised a hand to stop him, and watched as the former teacher ran out of the classroom, away from the shocked exclamations from the class.

"_Nezu-sensei…he wasn't the top student at Tokyo University?" _

"_I knew it! He was never a good teacher to begin with!"_

"_Poor Nezu-sensei. I wonder who our new teacher is. I hope he or she isn't strict…"_

"Students," Kusakabe told the class, "for unfortunate reasons, your currently teacher is leaving this school. Allow me to introduce you to Reboyama-sensei, a brilliant professor who has successfully obtained a Master's Degree in Mathematics."

Then the adult walked into the room. The first thing Tsuna noticed was his aura – it was so dark and so overpowering that he couldn't look away. The man was tall and lean, and he wore a midnight black suit. A black and orange fedora was on his head, shadowing part of his handsome face, and with his sensitive nose, Tsuna could smell the scent of fresh blood on his clothing, masked under his expensive cologne.

And the way he walked – the new teacher moved like an assassin, confident and ready to attack. Tsuna clenched his fists, as he regarded the man. From his knowledge of the mafia, only two of the Arcobaleno were assassins, and he was sure he knew who the man before him was.

It was Reborn, the world's strongest hitman, the current Sun Arcobaleno, and one of the most trusted members of the Vongola.

The Vongola Famiglia had sent _Reborn_ to recruit him into the mafia, to succeed Vongola Nono.

"Class," the tall hitman said smoothly, after the class had stood up to bow to him respectfully, "I am your new teacher, Reboyama-sensei. I have had almost ten years of teaching experience in Italy, and I look forward in making you all excel in your subjects."

In _Italy. _

Then he turned to Tsuna and lifted his fedora, revealing a pair of mysterious onyx eyes, eyes which seemed to know everything and read his mind.

"And Sawada," Reborn continued with a smirk, "A parabola is a plane curve, formed by the intersection of a cone, with a plane parallel to its side."

* * *

**A/N: **And I doubt Tsuna will ever forget what a parabola is now…lol. Actually the main inspiration for this chapter was from my own school life, and I've just starting learning about parabolas in maths. Oh dear, the topic is so not fun – I have to try really hard not to picture Levi going "Levi Volta!" whenever my maths teacher talks about parabolas…

So Reborn has appeared in his adult form as a teacher! Now he has an excuse to watch Tsuna during school times…muahahahaha. As for why Tsuna's pacifier started giving him pain, it is because his clear pacifier works differently to how an Arcobaleno pacifier works. (non-canon stuff)

I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! Please review! ^^

-Mockingjay Rose


	5. Flames of Madness

**The Tainted Bloodline**

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**Thanks to these awesome reviewers: **JackFrost14, Soul Vrazy, Akainokami, Dark Bless, Koyuki11, yumeniai, blizzard 10, XxShadowFangxX, MintLeafeon, Immortalis Cruor Elf, Lexie-chan94, shinnichi, Kiwicki, Kanrei, Tiger723, Featherain, Tanuki-san-chan-kun-whatever, Taira-keimei, and xyoung4EVA.

A special shout-out to Kiwicki, who wrote me a very long and BOSS review! Thank you so much! *gives cookies*

**This chapter has been beta-read by Phantom Hitman1412.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 4 – FLAMES OF MADNESS**

**NAMIMORI, JAPAN **

"_And Sawada, a parabola is a plane curve formed by the intersection of a cone, with a plane parallel to its side..._"

Reborn's words echoed through his mind, like the sound of raindrops hitting the puddles on the pavement as Tsuna walked on, without a destination in his mind. Wet streaks ran freely down his brown hair and onto his school uniform, which already clung to his skin, completely drenched from the pouring rain. The rain was comforting in its own way, however.

Brushing away the soaked strands of hair from his eyes, the brunet continued to walk with his head down, too lost in his own thoughts to care. His right hand was wrapped protectively over his clear pacifier, feeling the unsteady pulses of the Flames within. It was as ifthe Flames were trying to break free from their prison, to finally die with their long dead owners.

"Why?" Tsuna whispered, listening as the wind carried his voice away, "What is happening to my Flames? A-And what does it have to do with the Arcobaleno?"

Ever since he had received the pacifier from the checker-masked man the day _they_ had killed his mother, Tsuna was constantly at the risk of death. The masked man – or _Checkerface_, as Tsuna called him – had never explained his powers and curse before he had disappeared. Only a week after gaining his Flame of Night, the brunet had discovered and developed the theory that he needed the positive energy of Dying Will Flames in order to neutralise the negative energy of his Flame of Night.

For years, Tsuna had lived off the Flames of criminals and rogue animals, knowing the consequences all to well– should he ever cease to absorb positive Flames, his Flame of Night would burn out of control, indubitably leading to his demise. Another discovery he had made over the years was that when he drew a person's Flames, he could not stop the heat flow from entering his body, despite his will against it. This constantly brought fear to him, as it meant that Tsuna could never take the Flames of any innocent individual. That was why he had always fought with the local Yakuza**-** to gain fighting experience and learn about his own Flame. The stronger the target, the stronger and longer the Flame lasted in Tsuna's pacifier, before it died away.

But when Reborn had entered his classroom, something strange had definitely occurred– Tsuna had just returned from a killing early that morning, and his meeting with Reborn had left him feeling weak and energy depleted.

Tsuna wanted to know why he could immediately tell an Arcobaleno was outside, and why Reborn could take away his Flames. Was it a normal reaction, or was it abnormal? And what would happen if he met the hitman again?

Would he lose all his Flames?

A pair of perturbed brown eyes flew open, terror briefly flashing in them. Pain flared in his head and he gritted his teeth, willing it to go away. Forcing himself to take a deep breath and focus on the blurry road ahead, Tsuna broke into a run.

No, he couldn't lose his Flames – he needed them and he couldn't lose them, not until…_not until_…

His limbs felt heavy in the rain, but he ran on, past Namimori Middle and past Namimori Shrine with mud splattered all over his shoes and uniform. Now with a destination in mind, Tsuna continued down the familiar streets and kicked down the door to the tattoo parlour behind an alley, his breath becoming strained.

He didn't even hear the men inside shout, nor did he see them lift their guns. With a small cry, Tsuna drew his chains from under his clothes, forcing them to lengthen and expand with his Flame of Night. He tipped his head back and swung at the Yakuza men, feeling a rush of euphoria through his body as he killed. Black flames danced around the chains, lunging towards their targets, ready to replace hope with despair.

With his hair shadowing his darkened eyes, Tsuna manipulated the movement of the chains, lashing them all without mercy. His Flame of Night burned away the bullets aimed at him, turning the metal an angry red. The brunet laughed bitterly under his breath, though tears were leaking from his wild eyes.

For the first time in five years, Tsuna was terrified – he could feel Death breathing onto his Flames, increasing the magnitude of his Flame of Night, drawing him closer and closer to a dark, insane eternity…

He didn't even hear the sound of footsteps rushing inside the parlour, nor the sound of Ryohei urgently shouting, "STOP YOUR FLAMES, SAWADA! DON'T LET THEM CONSUME YOU TO THE EXTREME!" Nothing but the rush of blood in his ears could be heard. Gritting his teeth in barely contained rage, the brunet swung his chains again, staining the dirty grey walls a delicious crimson. Reaching towards the bodies, he drew on their Flames, relishing the power that entered his clear pacifier.

"I will continue to fight and live!" he yelled, "I-I won't give up until my revenge is fulfilled!"

An image of his father flashed before his eyes, his pure body sprawled over the bloodstained carpet in a gruesome death. A child's muffled scream tore at his ears, urging Tsuna to fight on. Then he heard the cry of his mother, when _they _-

"SAWADA!"

-killed her in her own home, for being _involved_ with the mafia. _Had they not known_ how much she had sacrificed in order to life a peaceful life and to raise a family? _Had they not known_ how much she had wanted to free herself from the pain and guilt of her past? _Had they not known _how Sawada Nana had forced herself to believe in a world of lies in order to protect her son?

Oh how it must have felt to bear the discrimination of being the illegitimate daughter of Vongola Nono, in the twisted hierarchy of the mafia world! And why had they murdered his _father_, as well? Why would they condemn an _innocent_ to death? _Why_-

"SNAP OUT OF IT, SAWADA! DON'T LET YOUR FLAMES CONTROL YOU!"

The screams of the Yakuza members were music to his ears. Perhaps when he'd killed enough, the pain of losing his parents would eventually fade...

"SAWADA!"

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!" Tsuna yelled, "Blood must be repaid in full! ARRGHHHH!"

Suddenly Tsuna froze. The Flames began to flicker and dissipate, as the shrunken chains moved to curl around his pacifier. Blood ran down his mouth and his eyes were dark and wide open with madness.

What had happened?

Ryohei ran towards him, holding his pale, shaking hands. "Sawada," he said, "Calm down. I-It's over now. I'll extremely take you home and-" He was cut short when he spotted a tall man wearing a fedora, standing at the door, leaning against the frame.

"Who are you?" Ryohei demanded, moving to stand protectively in front of Tsuna's paralysed body, "What do you extremely want?"

The man studied the older boy with a passive expression on his face for a long moment. Then he finally took a step inside, his expensive shoes avoiding the pools of blood on the damaged flooring.

"I am Reboyama, the new resident in Namimori. Step back, Sasagawa Ryohei," he said, "I will take things over from here."

* * *

"Where did Tsuna go?" Kurokawa asked, as she looked up from her laptop. Outside, heavy rain pounded heavily against the windows, as if they were trying to break through the glass. Lightning flashed across the dark sky, sending a shiver down her spine. "Something feels…off."

From the small coffee table in the living room, Kyoko shrugged and continued to pour herself a mug of coffee, embracing the warmth of the drink. "Maybe north. Recently there have been sightings of Kokuyo delinquents disturbing the peace in Namimori. Tsuna has most likely gone to kill them. If not, he's probably at the Yakuza's hideout."

The dark haired girl sighed and finished typing the last paragraph of her research homework, before she rubbed her eyes in exhaustion. "Tsuna looked ghastly pale when he left the house," she said, with a slight twinge of worry. "He was also pale when Reboyama-sensei – _Reborn_ – entered the classroom. Tsuna's Flame had started to react already."

The orange haired girl checked her wristwatch. "It has been half an hour. Also, I haven't heard anything from my earpiece…. That's strange too…"

"Anyway," Kurokawa continued, "I doubt Tsuna would want us to follow him in this weather. Your brother runs around Namimori after his afternoon boxing club activities, so he'll watch out for him. But even so… do you sense someone or something watching us, Kyoko? I've checked with the property managers and what's strange, is that Reborn hasn't rented or bought a house here. He hasn't booked any nearby hotel rooms either."

"You don't suppose he's planning to move in with us by blackmail?" Kyoko said, her eyes wide with realisation, "The Vongola's first move was to send Reborn to train Tsuna into Vongola Decimo. To accomplish such would require constant surveillance!"

Kurokawa nodded. "Also, if you've been observing the patterns, every powerful mafia boss has six Guardians, one for each Flame attribute. Replacing the old Nezu as our teacher allows Reborn to monitor the other students and select potential Guardians."

Silence fell upon the two as they tried to piece together the information. Then Kurokawa returned her attention to the laptop and Kyoko finished her second cup of coffee, deep in thought.

_Knock knock_.

"EXTREME KNOCKING! KYOKO, HANA, I'M EXTREMELY HOOOOME! REBOYAMA-SENSEI IS HERE TOO AND SAWADA IS EXTREMELY HURT!"

Kyoko's coffee mug hit table and smashed on the floor. "Reboyama? As in…_Reborn_?"

"Open the door, Kyoko-chan," Kurokawa said tonelessly. The dark haired girl's gaze was fixed on the screen of her laptop, which showed the view of the Sawada Residence's doorstep. Outside in the rain, Ryohei was loudly knocking the door. Behind him, Reborn stood with the paralysed Tsuna over his shoulder.

"That's Reboyama-sensei!" Kyoko cried, "We can't let that _vermin_ enter Tsuna's house!"

Kurokawa gestured at the footage in exasperation. "Sawada is outside!" she hissed, "There must be a reason why your brother walked him here!"

"KYOKO! HANA! EXTREMELY OPEN THE DOOR!"

Kyoko drew her knives and prepared to throw them at the door, when she spotted a very thin green card appear through the gap, working through the lock. "A _credit card_? It shouldn't be able to unlock the door!"

The lock clicked, allowing the door to swing open. In a flash, Kyoko sheathed her blades and adopted an airheaded expression, while Kurokawa forced the laptop to shut down. The orange haired girl quickly pulled her brother inside and stood in the doorway, blocking Reborn from entering.

"Reboyama-sensei, what – Oh god, _T-Tsuna-kun_…?!" she breathed with horror, "What happened?" Tightly gripping the doorknob, she screamed, "Someone tell me! _Now_!" Running towards the tall man, she grabbed Tsuna and backed away, with alarm flashing in her eyes.

"Thank you for bringing him home, Reboyama-sensei," Kurokawa said politely, "We are indebted to you. However, we will take care of everything from now on. I'm sure you have your _family_ to go back to."

Pulling Kyoko back, she then began to close the door, when the green credit card morphed into a small ball with large yellow eyes. Blinking with confusion, Kurokawa shook her head and attempted to move it out of the way, but with no success. "I-"

"Indebted did you say, Kurokawa Hana?" A cool smirk graced the tall man's lips, and he lifted his fedora to reveal his onyx eyes. "If so, then allow me to come in – I have a lot of matters I wish to discuss with all of you, and in particular, with Sawada Tsunayoshi…"

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**A/N:** This time, my main source of inspiration was the weather - it has rained for days, and I could just _feel_ this sadness and frustration in the atmosphere...

To sum this chapter up, Tsuna is afraid of dying before he fulfills his wish. Reborn's presence takes away his positive Flames, unbalancing his Flame energy, therefore making him weak. To regain some energy, Tsuna goes on a killing spree, but with the imbalance of his Flame of Night and the Dying Will Flames, the Flame of Night consumed him. I will go into deeper detail about all the Flames soon.

Reborn has also infiltrated the Sawada Residence! How did you like Leon's role in breaking the door open, haha?

Thank you for reading, and please leave a review! I've told you guys how much I love reading your comments, haven't I? And one last thing - if you're interested in joining a KHR!Secret Santa game this Christmas, please visit my profile and click on the KHR!Secret Santa link for all the details! The gifts are KHR fanfics, and the signup deadline is November 30.

I hope to hear from you soon!

**-Mockingjay Rose**


	6. The Hitman From Italy

**The Tainted Bloodline**

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**Thanks to these awesome reviewers: **XxShadowFangxX, VongolaFamilia, Kanrei, Tenpouin Yuuki, Akainokami, Guest, JackFrost14, Tiger723, Soul Vrazy, Naruta13, MintLeafeon, yumeniai, Lexie-chan94, Narutopokefan, SinA, eclipsed flower, asian0music0lover and Sodai no Ozora.

**This has been beta-read by Phantom Hitman 1412.**

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**CHAPTER 5 – THE HITMAN FROM ITALY**

**NAMIMORI, JAPAN**

Without another word, the door was pushed open and Reborn entered the Sawada Residence dripping wet. Glancing at the puddle of water seeping into the doormat, Kurokawa offered the tall man a towel, and took the time to study him warily as he wiped the rain droplets off his expensive suit. Then the two girls led him inside, making sure that he was far away from the unconscious Tsuna.

"So what do you want to discuss with us, Reboyama-sensei?" Kyoko asked politely, as she quickly retrieved the first aid kit from under the coffee table, "Our parents are not at home right now. They're currently on a business trip to Tokyo, so if this is about school, they're currently unavailable."

Reborn shook a few droplets from his soaked sleeves and neatly folded the towel beside him. "In Tokyo? No, they're in Italy."

Kyoko and Kurokawa narrowed their eyes. "Italy?" the orangey-brown haired girl echoed, "Oh no, my parents are police officers and they were assigned to the national police force in Japan's capital. Why would they be in Italy, Reboyama-sensei?"

"Kyoko's extremely right," Ryohei added, "Our parents are EXTREMELY fighting crime! I extremely don't understand you, Reboyama-sensei!"

"They're in Italy due to family business," Reborn replied, "Nana was buried under the Vongola's name, despite her failed attempt to escape her bloodline. The Sasagawas were taken to Italy as well, though they weren't given a funeral."

The orangey-brown haired girl's hand shook slightly, making her almost lose hold of the bandages she was using to tend to Tsuna's injuries. "Vongola?" she questioned carefully, with a trace of disbelief in her tone – were her parents involved with the mafia as well?

"Our parents are EXTREMELY alive!" Ryohei argued back, "And Sawada's mother is EXTREMELY alive too!"

Reborn shook his head and helped himself to a mug of coffee. "They haven't been alive for the past five years. Sawada Iemitsu was also murdered ten years ago."

"What proof do you have?" Kurokawa asked sceptically, "How would you know all this when even Sasagawa-chan and Sasagawa-senpai haven't been told? And you're only our teacher!"

Reborn glanced up and looked into her eyes, amusement dancing in his onyx orbs. "I have connections," he replied smoothly, "Sawada Nana and the Sasagawa officers were murdered on the same day five years ago. Their bodies were never found, but due to the sheer amount of blood visible in the room, the victims were assumed dead. The detectives and police were quickly bribed into silence, however."

The tall hitman's eyes did not waver, and Kurokawa instantly knew that he could not be fooled. "And how did you know this?" she then asked cautiously, "With the mafia mass murders and other crimes in Italy, a few body disappearances in Namimori and Tokyo would be trivial."

"Namimori has a reputation of being one of the most peaceful towns in Japan, so sudden murders would indubitably spark my attention," Reborn answered, "And like I said before, I have many connections."

"You said that you are also aware of Sawada Iemitsu's murder in Tokyo ten years ago, am I correct?"

"Yes."

Kyoko set down the burn ointment and studied the tall man's expression, before allowing some of her airheaded façade to fade. "You're not just a teacher are you, Reboyama-sensei?" she asked, "When Tsuna's mother and my parents died, we were adopted almost immediately, and the news of their murders didn't spread far. Not many people know the truth – our classmates, teachers and neighbours still believe that our parents are alive today, when we've been living independently on our own for five years. Strange, huh?"

"You're definitely the first to see through it all, Reboyama-sensei," Kurokawa added, "And if you please, enlighten us with more information about those murders."

"Tell us to the EXTREME!" Ryohei agreed, "And who exactly are you to the EXTREME, Reboyama-sensei?"

A smirk found its way across Reborn's lips. "You three are quite perceptive too," he remarked, "If not for all of you, I highly doubt that Sawada Tsunayoshi would have made it this far."

Kyoko and Kurokawa stiffened at the abrupt change of topic, neither of them speaking. Even Ryohei fell silent, as he turned to concernedly glance at the brunet's unmoving body.

Finally the black haired girl broke the silence. "It had been tough during those years," she said curtly, "We don't trust many people anymore. And it's not hard to connect the dots – we know that you're involved in this so-called 'family business'."

"Hana's right, and you EXTREMELY did not answer my question! Who are you to the EXTREME?"

Reborn placed a hand on his soaked fedora to tilt it, with his infuriating smirk still in place. "I am known as Reborn, the world's greatest hitman. My current mission is to train Sawada Tsunayoshi to become the next boss of the Vongola Family, the largest and most powerful mafia Famiglia."

"No," Kyoko, Kurokawa and Ryohei said at the time. Standing up, Kurokawa and Ryohei moved across the room to where Kyoko and Tsuna were, to stand protectively in front of him.

"Why would we let you train him to be part of a criminal organisation that his mother died to escape from?" the black haired girl demanded, her eyes cold and hard, "And to be part of something that had the Sasagawas murdered as well? My parents also died by the mafia's hands!"

"The Kurokawas?" Reborn mused, "I've heard of them – they were tortured and shot down after their positions in the Japanese Intelligence Force were unveiled. Very few people know they had a daughter."

Kurokawa clenched her fists and growled with anger. Beside her, Kyoko's hands grasped onto the hilts of her twin daggers. "Don't involve them into this either," the black haired girl hissed.

"SAWADA WILL NOT BE PART OF THE VONGOLA!" Ryohei yelled, "LEAVE HIS HOUSE TO THE EXTREME!"

The annoying smirk still did not fade. The amphibian on his fedora glowed green and began to morph into a gun. Reborn allowed his fedora to shadow his eyes, making him appear more deadly and menacing.

"W-Wait…"

"S-Sawada-san?" Kyoko stammered. Four pairs of eyes turned to the brunet, who was slumped weakly across the couch with beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. His towel-dried hair was stringy and messy across his ghastly pale face. With trembling hands, he pushed himself up to glance at the visitors, until his dull brown eyes met Reborn's onyx ones.

"Wait," he repeated firmly, "I heard your conversation… Let me…I-"

"Please speak up, Sawada Tsunayoshi. I can't hear you properly." Reborn was clearly amused, as he smirked at Kurokawa and the Sasagawas' shocked expressions.

The brunet's eyes darkened into the colour of a dead night. "Let me join the Vongola Famiglia... I want to finish what my mother failed to do… I want..."

"You may have almost anything when you become Vongola Decimo."

Tsuna nodded resolutely, his lips tainted with a faint, bittersweet smile. "Of course," he said slowly, "I want to change it all…and live…and…hahaha! Hahahaha!"

"He has a fever!" Kyoko exclaimed, feeling the brunet's burning forehead, "He-"

"Kurokawa, Sasagawa Kyoko and Ryohei, please return to the Sasagawa Residence. I have already obtained permission from your adoptive parent, Kawahira, to take care of Tsunayoshi. Also, don't forget to do your homework – you all have school tomorrow."

"But-" At the sight of the hitman's gun, the three silenced and made their way to the door, giving Tsuna worried glances as they left the Sawada Residence. With a satisfied nod, the hitman relaxed his hold on his chameleon, before he returned his full attention to the boy.

From the couch, Tsuna continued to laugh deliriously, with his hand clutching the clear pacifier under his clothes. His chains were tightly wrapped around the delicate object, preventing his Flames from escaping. Throwing his head back, the brunet's laughter drowned out all other sounds, as he lost himself in his dark, mental world of revenge.

* * *

**END OF CHAPTER**

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**A/N: **This time, murder and insanity were my inspirations. But relax, guys - I'm 47% insane...which is still pretty sane! Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and please leave a review. By now, I think it's pretty obvious with how much I love and encourage those small comments. XD

And OMGIOTTO, have a Happy New Year! I'm finding it difficult to believe that a year has gone by already, haha... they say that time flies like an arrow...

...and fruit flies like a banana. (A shout out to _Hamano Chiaki_, my pun friend~)

Thank you for all your support this year - I wouldn't have gotten this far with all my stories if I hadn't received all your kind, BOSS and motivating reviews, alerts and favourites. In total, I've written almost 100 000 words for my KHR fanfics in 2012. It's an achievement I never knew I'd be rewarded with.

So thank you again, and may 2013 bring you lots of happiness and precious moments!

With EXTREME love,

-Mockingjay Rose


	7. Nagi and Silvio

**The Tainted Bloodline**

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**Thanks to these awesome reviewers: **Hamano Chiaki, Lexie-chan94, Mr or Ms Tanuki, saphire644, JackFrost14, Soul Vrazy, eclipsed flower, Kanrei, Vongolafan16, blizzard 10, VongolaFamilia, Hibatsulova1827 0-0, Chi-tanda and Koyuki11.

**This has been beta-read by Phantom Hitman 1412.**

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**CHAPTER 6 – NAGI AND SILVIO**

**EUROPE**

Onboard a large passenger aeroplane, a silver haired boy sat slouched on his seat amongst hundreds of idle adults in economy class. Aside from the loud buzzing of the aircraft, only laptop clicks, paper rustles, and shifting bodies could be heard. Occasionally a child's wail resonated from the compartment ahead, though that would always render a dangerous twitch from the silveret.

The terribly made instant coffee remained on his retractable table, where it had cooled down long ago. His passport was in his hand, constantly under the threat of being torn. Once spinning the small legal document became too much of a bore, he flipped it open to a random page, where he saw the fine print of his decade long alias beside his face: Hayato Gokudera.

The name had always raised several eyebrows in the Vongola Famiglia. As an Italian boy who was raised in the mansion of a wealthy and allied Famiglia, no one truly understood why he didn't want to follow his popular father's footsteps and alienated himself from his former namesake. Not that it mattered now anyway - his father had allegedly committed suicide six years ago, and everything was left to his consigliere.

No one in his former Famiglia had considered him as a possible heir, due to his status as the late Boss' illegitimate child. He was only four years old back then, but no one had bothered to train him. His sister wasn't named an heir either, but she was loved and admired for her deadly skills. Throughout his entire life, Gokudera only had vague memories of affection. He remembered his kind mistress mother teaching him how to play the piano, but after the day when they had both gone over the cliff's edge during a freak car accident, he never saw her again.

The silveret snarled at the no-smoking signs above him, beside the small air conditioning vent and light buttons. At times like this, when he was confined in uncomfortably tight spaces, he really needed his cigarettes. His claustrophobia had developed soon after his mother's death, but after officially joining the Vongola Famiglia he eventually built a tolerance for his fears. Nicotine also helped ease his mind. With agitation, Gokudera snapped off his seatbelt and began to feel around his pockets for his lighter.

Unlike the others around him, he was permitted to walk through customs without any body or baggage checks due to the Vongola's connections and bribery. As a hitman, carrying weapons was mandatory for success and survival. He already had dynamite hidden all over his body, and he had a handgun in his carryon luggage. But despite his weaponry, the only items the boy found in his jacket were half a packet of cigarettes, a pen, a few balls of crumpled paper and some old chewing gum wrappers. It was only then when he realised his lighter must have been pick pocketed on the streets.

Gokudera darkly wondered why the Vongola hadn't bothered to reserve him a First-class seat on a better aeroplane, when they indubitably had the power to do so. It was annoying having to share a plane with clueless civilians for a half a day. As a Vongola Storm Guardian candidate, it was truly outrageous. Now he had to spend the hours in a cramped spot.

"Excuse me, sir."

The passenger beside him hesitantly tapped a finger on Gokudera's shoulder, earning him a heated glare. He had an American accent in his poor Italian, which meant that he had probably been a tourist in Italy. A young female shifted beside the tourist and flashed the silveret an expectant smile.

"Sir, have you finished reading your newspaper?" she asked. Her eyes were almost bloodshot from spending hours watching a lame romantic film with her lover. Annoyed at the sudden disruption, Gokudera threw his folded newspaper at the man, ignoring his word of thanks. For the next few minutes, he could hear the couple giggling over the cartoons and photos, since they obviously didn't know how to read the foreign language.

After half an hour, Gokudera abruptly stood up. On the way to the tiny lavatories, he glanced around at the rows of seats trying to search for a lighter in vain. The lack of nicotine was eating through his mind and driving him crazy. He briefly considered using his explosives to light his cigarettes. Still somewhat sane though, the silveret decided to pull the plane's main telephone apart, hoping to generate sparks.

"Sir, please settle down," a flight attendant said from behind. There was a clattering sound as the refreshments trolley was put to a stop. "Have you forgotten the location of your seat?"

Gokudera narrowed his eyes with irritation and returned the telephone to its original position. "Tch," he spat, "That's none of your business."

"Is it?" a new voice said in his mind, "Then excuse me, Miss Stewardess. You did not see anything. This boy and I will be returning to our seats now."

The silveret froze. Suddenly the flight attendant's eyes dilated, as if she was in a trance. She became very calm and relaxed, and her thoughts were blank. When she refocused, she directed a kind smile towards Gokudera.

"Can I help you, sir?" she asked. Gokudera boy shook his head quickly and walked away. The exchange had been too strange. Was it possible that she was possessed by a UMA? And that young girl's voice in his mind...was she the UMA?

A small hand grasped his wrist, causing the silveret to stiffen. "What do you want?" he growled. He didn't bother turning his head, and roughly shook the hand off him.

"Silvio...you don't recognise me?"

Gokudera froze again. It was the same voice of the girl who had spoken in his mind. A shiver ran up his spine as he heard it again.

"Che, how would I recognised you if I've never seen you before?" he replied automatically, "And I'm not this 'Silvio' person."

The girl moved forward so they were face to face. Gokudera gasped when he saw her. Standing before him was a pale-skinned, purple haired girl in a white dress. An eyepatch covered her right eye, which was mostly veiled by her long purple hair. Somewhere deep in his mind, the silveret remembered her - the two had met ten years ago. The mental smell of blood assaulted him at that moment, and he inwardly flinched.

"_Nagi_," he said at last, "You're Nagi."

The girl nodded and pressed a hand onto her eyepatch. "We finally meet again, Silvio," she said softly, "It has been ten years since the five of us parted. I am now known as Chrome Dokuro."

"Hayato Gokudera," the silveret replied curtly. He hated his birth name - it brought back memories he'd rather forget. Also, the purple haired girl's sudden appearance was too suspicious. It couldn't have been a mere coincidence that they happened to have boarded the same flight...

Chrome understood quickly and turned, so she faced the other passengers. "Why are you on this plane, then? I heard that you've joined the Vongola Famiglia. They own the best private jets in the world, after all."

There was a scowl from the silveret. "Boss' second funeral, che. His bones were found and confirmed yesterday. Most of the Famiglia have used the planes to fly to America to pay their respects. That bastard, I thought he was invincible."

Chrome faced Gokudera again, and when green eyes met violet, he flinched at her intensity. Her eye was burning with undeniable and unrivalled faith. "Boss is invincible," she replied seriously, "He would never leave us. During those ten years, he has guided us in our missions. He'll come for us again soon, perhaps when we all reunite."

"If the dead can be resurrected, then my mother would be with me now. And what could we have done for Boss anyway?"

"You're wrong - he saved us all. If he hadn't, the five of us would have died. As our thanks, we will be Boss' Guardians when he becomes Vongola Decimo, of course."

Gokudera shook his head. "The bastard's dead," he repeated, "And Vongola Nono has already sent Reborn to train the remaining heir. I have no idea who that person is. He lives in Japan, that's all I know. And he looks like a ten year old."

An eerie look passed Chrome's features, as her face became shadowed. All traces of innocence vanished, revealing her true cold hearted and manipulative nature. "Pathetic, isn't it?" she whispered dangerously, "Boss is strong and invincible. For the sake of Boss and the Vongola, that heir must be eliminated at all costs. Think about your position, Sil-Hayato Gokudera."

The silveret took a step back. "But the funer-"

"The pilots are under my control," the purple haired girl interrupted, "We will be flying towards Japan, instead of America. Once we land, we'll part ways. However, I will entrust this with you."

A piece of crumpled paper was stuffed into his hands. Glancing down, Gokudera warily unfolded it. On the centre of the page were five words written in elegant cursive:

_Sawada Tsunayoshi, Namimori Middle School.  
_  
"Where did you get this?" Gokudera demanded, "What connections do you have with my Famiglia?" He clenched his fist angrily over the small piece of paper, crumpling it under the pressure once more. He absolutely hated the fact that even an outsider knew what was going on, when he was left clueless.

"Remember what I said, Silvio - Federico-sama will return to us soon. Think of everything he's done for you."

Then she vanished into the mist. Frustrated, the silveret slammed his fist into the lavatory door. He ignored the yells of the unfortunate person inside, and the orders from the approaching flight attendant. He made his way to his seat, shut in his own world. His pocket felt so heavy with the note from Chrome, and the blinding smell of blood returned.

And when aeroplane began to veer off-course, Hayato Gokudera knew what he had to do.

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**END OF CHAPTER**

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**A/N: **This time, my source of inspiration was from the 9/11 attacks. I watched a film based on it at school, and decided to have an aeroplane scene. Of course Chrome's hijacking was a lot gentler, haha.

I've mentioned in the summary that this fic is AU. 'The Tainted Bloodline' will not entirely follow the canon. A few of the characters' pasts will be altered to fit the story.

So we now have manipulative!Chrome and Gokudera (Silvio), who were both saved by Federico. Chrome can control minds and Gokudera can read them. I can't wait to write about the rest of the Dark!Guardians, especially since they'll actually be portrayed as antagonists.

Finally, please leave a review! Thank you for reading this chapter~

**-Mockingjay Rose**


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